Baba Yaga
Her reach is long, and cold... The Baba Yaga is one of the most powerful witches in the Void, with strength rivaling that of even Hecate herself. Physical Appearance Baba Yaga's appearance is that of a gnarled old crone with beady black eyes and a mouth of iron teeth. She dresses as though she were a nondescript peasant woman of Rizgaar or Muskovia, which belies the truth of her power. The great witch is capable of shapeshifting, however, and possesses other forms she favors, one most notably being a younger form called simply "Yaga." This shape is rumored to be how she appeared in her youth. History and Legend The Baba Yaga is an ancient being, whose story is known only to a very few, none of whom would be keen on sharing it with any aspiring historians. It is not even certain where she was born, with Midgard sources citing it as the lands that one day became Rizgaar, while on Mir it is commonly held she was born in a village in Sibira. Some have even postulated she was born in Fairyland, though it is certain she is, or at least began her life, human. There are many legends as to the source of the Baba Yaga's immense power. Some say she placed a portion of her soul into the very trunk of the World Tree. Others say it was her coldest hatred, placed into the heart of what is now the Thrice-Tenth Kingdom. Still more claim that she consumed the life and power of one of Oberon's Hags, possibly the first one. And there are some that claim she did all of these things. When her body was still young and beautiful Baba Yaga, a devout servant of Hecate's chaos, caught the eye of Boreas, the increasingly erratic North Wind. The two had a tryst, the result of which was the Witch Princess, Sonya. Boreas' mad plot to freeze all existence was stopped, however, and Baba Yaga placed her daughter in a frozen sleep, to awake when she was to help usher in the true Ice Apocalypse. At some point Baba Yaga removed the soul of the ancient warrior Koschei, placing it in subsequent vessels so that he might become Deathless. Whether willing or not, he has fought for her ever since. As the time of Boreas' reawakening drew near, Baba Yaga roused her daughter and formed a breakaway faction of Witches, opposed to Hecate and the Medea and in favor of propping Baba Yaga up as the new ruler of all witch-kind, that she may rule alongside the Winter King of Fairies. Her plans were stopped, however, and Boreas was destroyed, bringing his dream of freezing all life to an end. Since that time, Baba Yaga has given up on these greater plans at least, either regaining some clarity or simply moving on to new plots. Powers and Abilities The strongest mortal witch commands an obvious degree of power, and is one of the strongest beings on Mir, or any realm she frequents. Her magic ability is surpassed by few in the Void, and her knowledge of magic brings that number even lower. Baba Yaga is one of the few beings capable of removing the Seals placed on Eros Sanguis, and is likely also capable of resealing them. Holdings There are many places that the Baba Yaga calls home and holding. She has a fief of her own on Mir, located around her great Winter Palace, and is rumored to have similar, less stupendous structures in other realms. Even greater, however, is her personal corner of Fairyland, the Thrice-Tenth Kingdom. It is a place of primal cold, where many cold fae gather, and thought by some to be the font from which Baba Yaga's power flows. Another important holding of the Baba Yaga is her chicken-legged house, a mobile home on four chicken legs that is capable of travel, not only across the frozen tundra, but across realms. Servants Baba Yaga commands the service of many beings, Fae and otherwise. Three Riders A trio of fae-riders in service to the Baba Yaga, though their origins vary. Each is granted a portion of power by the great witch, and should they fail in their duties or die (which is a form of failure) she rescends the power violently before granting it to a new rider. The White Rider is known as My Bright Morning, and usually appears from sunrise to noon. The current one is a fairy knight in shining armor, though his origins are unknown. His presence is as bright and blinding as the morning sunrise. The White Rider is often the herald of the Baba Yaga, bringing her word to allies and servants. The Red Rider is called My Red Sun, and appears from noon-time to sunset. She appears as a fiery haired human woman in crimson riding clothes. Her burning presence is like the midday sun beating down. The Red Rider is Baba Yaga's messenger, delivering not only messages and missives, but also arrows dripping with spells and poison, depending on the grand witch's opinion towards the recipient. The Black Rider is My Dark Midnight, and comes in the night. It wears ebony armor that covers the entirety of its body, masking even the rider's gender, and does not speak, though its voice is rumored to be that of Death. Some claim the Black Rider is the personal Reaper of the Baba Yaga. Snegurochka The Snow Maiden of the Winter Palace is a being similar to Rusulki, though created by the Baba Yaga and Morezko instead of Lady Rusulka. The mysterious Snegurochka the Snow Maiden often acts as Baba Yaga's representative when the great witch is preoccupied. Sonya The Baba Yaga's only known daughter, mothered in the great witch's youth with the Fairy King of Winter, Boreas. She has served her mother faithfully all her life, and even earned the Opal Eyes. Others A Kikimora named Sharukina responsible for cleaning the whole of the Winter Palace. Praskovya, beautiful, female half-elf, half-troll known for her beauty and... durability. A tribe of Sibir catfolk led by their chief, Kigatilik. Numerous lesser fairies, trolls, giants, and undead creatures. Allies and Enemies Allies The great crone is allied with many cold beings and deities of Mir, as well as the mighty Eros Sanguis. The great Lady Rusulka, mother of the Rusulki, is a long time ally of hers, as is Morezko, the Winter King of Mir. She is on good terms with Grand Duchess Anastasia Nevereski of Kalgorod, Federika Kaleid, and the Lords and Ladies of The Woods. It is widely held that she taught magic to Vasilisa the Beautiful. Enemies Baba Yaga sees The Morrigan as a foe and rival for the affections of Boreas, even though the North Wind was destroyed. Neither the Fairy Queens of the Seelie nor the Fairy King of the Unseelie hold any affection for Baba Yaga, and the feeling appears to be mutual. Neither side openly opposes the other, however. See Also The Realm of Mir, her frequent home. Category:Characters